Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is now even bigger. The fourth wave of its Booster Course Pack DLC has just arrived on Nintendo Switch, adding eight more tracks to the racing game. The list includes some classics from the GameCube, Wii, and Game Boy Advance installments of the series, but its most exciting addition is a completely original one: Yoshi’s Island.
As you may have guessed, the new course is inspired by Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. On a visual level, it’s one of the most delicious tracks in Mario Kart so far. The first leg has players running through yellow hills filled with little references to Yoshi’s indie games. From the starting line, you can see Poochy sitting on an oversized mailbox and catch some Chain Chomps that bounce delightfully in the distance. Later, you will see some Goonies flying in the sky and a giant purple Blargg.
The track turns some of those landmarks into clever obstacles. In the first leg, the players avoid the Shy Guys who walk the pitch on stilts attached to oversized shoes, as well as a group of Burts who are anxiously circling. It’s a nice way to represent some classic enemies in a way that feels consistent with Mario Kart and yoshi’s island.
What is especially fun is how dynamic the course is. While it starts out on a hillside, players will plunge underwater (avoiding some Clawdaddies along the way) and eventually climb up into the clouds before returning to the starting line. It offers a complete tour of yoshi’s islandpaying homage to several levels in one.
Like some of the best Mario Kart tracks, it also includes an excellent Easter egg. When descending from the clouds, players have a chance to navigate into a cloud of question marks if they position their vehicle at the correct angle. Doing so will spawn a wooden ramp on the ramp below. Land on it and drift around it successfully and you’ll jump through the same finish ring found at the end of a Yoshi’s Island level.
The track is short and sweet, but it does everything a great Mario Kart track should do. Pay homage to the series, while discovering clever ways to turn platforming elements into racing obstacles. There’s a fair amount of strategy, with various shortcuts and tricks to take advantage of. Throw in a lot of visual references on top of that and you’ve got one of the best tracks in the whole package.
mario kart 8 deluxe Booster Course Pack Wave 4 is now available.
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